LCD TV Deals & Offers

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Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) TVs provide beautiful images on large flat screens, and are a cutting-edge entertainment product. However, high-end LCD TVs don’t come cheap, and they are up against stiff competition from LED TVs. This HotUKDeals buyer’s guide explains the ins and outs of LCD TVs, and how they stack up against LED competitors.

Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) TVs provide beautiful images on large flat screens, and are a cutting-edge entertainment product. However, high-end LCD TVs don’t come cheap, and they are up against stiff competition from LED TVs. This HotUKDeals buyer’s guide explains the ins and outs of LCD TVs, and how they stack up against LED competitors.

Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) TVs provide beautiful images on large flat screens, and are a cutting-edge entertainment product. However, high-end LCD TVs don’t come cheap, and they are up against stiff competition from LED TVs. This HotUKDeals buyer’s guide explains the ins and outs of LCD TVs, and how they stack up against LED competitors. Read more

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LCD TVs - High Resolution and Energy Efficient

These days, TVs are wafer-thin expanses of high-resolution technology. They can stretch across the entire wall of your living room, creating home cinema-style visuals, without projecting more than a few inches from the wall. If you love TV, it’s really a golden age.

LCD TVs are at the forefront of modern television technology, which is why millions of people buy them every month. Offering high resolution, energy efficient operation, reliability and good compatibility with other digital devices, the best LCD TVs are a superb way to watch movies, TV or play video games.

LCD TVs: Pure Entertainment

Televisions have been part of our lives for almost 100 years now. The first models appeared in the 1920s, and were primitive compared to the racks of LCD and LED TVs you’ll find at high street retailers these days.

Early TVs (and the kind most of us used until quite recently) relied on cathode ray tubes to create images, which in turn required box-shaped units to project electrons onto phosphorescent screens.

LCD-based Flat screens started to appear in the 1990s, but it wasn’t until 2006 that they surpassed the sales of cathode ray tube-based TV sets. At the time, they were competing with plasma screen TVs, as LCD technologists sought to make their sets larger, more efficient and lighter.

LCD eventually (more or less) won the battle with plasma screens, only to be met with another competitor, OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode) screens. Nowadays, companies like Sony, Samsung, LG and Panasonic make both varieties and, as we’ll see below, each kind has subtle strengths and weaknesses relative to the other.

How Do LCD TVs Work?

As their name suggests, LCD TVs make use of Liquid Crystal Diodes to create high resolution TV images.

In an LCD TV, two layers of specially polarised glass are placed on top of each other, with liquid crystals in between. When certain levels of light are passed through this layer of crystals, they allow it through or block it, depending on its wavelength – creating a huge range of colours.

This means that there has to be a source of light beneath the layer of crystals. In an LCD screen, the light is supplied by fluorescent bulbs.

LED screens work slightly differently. They still employ a layer of liquid crystals between sheets of polarised glass. The major difference lies in the light source. In OLED screens, Organic Light Emitting Diodes are used, and the arrangement of these LEDs can differ (with full array, edge lighting and a variety of patterns available).

The key thing to remember is that both forms of TV are able to have incredibly slender screens, thanks to the absence of a cathode ray tube. Both offer relatively pure image quality, with impressive contrast and resolution.

LCD TVs: Technical Specs to Look Out For

When you start hunting around for the ideal LCD TV, you might feel like you are bombarded with data. There’s a wide range of different specifications and choosing the right kind of LCD TV can make a big difference to how much pleasure you derive from your set, so it does matter. Here are some key things to consider:

Screen size – Probably the most important selling point for most LCD TV buyers, screen sizes vary from tiny 7-inch models (handy for smaller rooms like bathrooms, or for having in your car) to massive 110-inch behemoths, which could well be too large for your home to handle.

Resolution – A measure of how many pixels the LCD TV is capable of displaying. The ideal resolution for your screen will depend on how large the screen is. For example, experts tend to recommend that a 20-inch screen has a resolution of 1600 x 1200 (for computer use) or 1080p for TVs. However, high-end models can churn out 4K pixels in Ultra HD (or even 8K in the near future). This might sound great, but for everyday viewers, 1080p will still seem impressive.

Clear motion rate – Also known as the refresh rate, the clear motion rate refers to how often the TV can refresh the image. It’s usually measured in Hertz (as it’s a measure of frequency) and ranges from 60Hz to 120Hz in most common models, but can rise to 240Hz. Why is it important? Well, for some people it won’t be. However, if you are sensitive to small amounts of motion blur when watching sports or movies, a higher clear motion rate will make a big difference.

Audio – You’ll find a range of audio specs, but go for models with Theatre or Surround Sound if you intend to ratchet up the volume and increase the intensity of your movie watching sessions. If you are a serious audiophile, check that the TV has the HDMI connections needed to hook up with speaker systems. Not all TVs are capable of synching with Bose or Logitech home speakers, so make sure your model is.

Connectivity – Along with HDMI connections, good LCD TVs will have Ethernet, USB, digital and audio out sockets and possibly Bluetooth as well. This can be a deal breaker if you need to connect a PlayStation or Xbox, or have a Blu-ray player or PC to link to your TV.

Weight – Obviously, if you intend to move your LCD TV around regularly, having a lightweight model can be a real plus. Otherwise, weight is less critical. If weight is a major factor, you’ll love the next generation range of 60-inch LCD TVs that have been slimmed down to as little as 10kg, but it’s rarely critical for everyday TV watchers.

Energy Efficiency – Both LED and LCD TVs are much more efficient than old-style TVs, but there’s quite a lot of variation within the flat screen market. Look for an A+ energy rating in the product details as you hunt for a TV. That way, you’ll drive down your electricity bills and help the environment without denting the image quality of your TV at all.

What Types of LCD TVs Can You Buy?

All LCD TVs tend to look alike, but there are some variations in the kinds you can buy, so try to be alert to the differences as you search through the HotUKDeals listings. For example, you’ll come across:

Standard LCD TVs – TVs with a resolution of around 1080p, decent size, at around 30 inches, light weight (but not wafer thin design) and the usual collection of HDMI and USB ports.

4K Ultra HD LCD TVs – TVs that offer much higher on-screen resolution (four times as much as standard TVs, actually). You’ll encounter sharper images and text, which can be handy for those with minor visual problems, and a generally more enjoyable movie watching experience.

Smart TVs – Most LCD TVs on the market are smart these days, so be wary about claims that make this seem like a big deal. However, some TVs are “smarter” than others. The differences lie in the kind of interfaces included. Go for TVs with Rokia or Sony TVs that feature Google-designed Android interfaces.

Home cinema LCD TVs – Not all of the LCD TVs on the market are adapted to create an authentic home cinema experience. Crucially, not all have the muscle required to create immersive sound, so go for TVs with surround sound and extras like soundbars if that’s a consideration.

Is it Worth Having an LCD TV Repaired, or Should I Update?

As with all tech devices, LCD TVs are susceptible to becoming damaged every now and then. The question is, when this happens to you, should you spend the money to have your TV repaired, or is it time to update your device and go for something cutting edge?

The choice you make will come down to a few basic things. Firstly, can the TV actually be repaired economically? If your screen has been badly cracked, that’s an expensive repair job, and it probably won’t be worthwhile to bring in a technician, have the screen taken away, the parts ordered and the work done.

Then again, some other forms of damage can be remedied fairly cheaply. For example, if you have an issue with your remote, it’s rarely a fatal problem. The same applies to buttons on the TV itself or damaged sockets. These kind of things can be fixed cheaply enough to avoid forking out for a new TV.

You’ll also need to think about the age of your TV. If you’ve had it for five years, technology will have moved on dramatically and it might be worth paying extra for a new set, even if the old one can be repaired. However, if the set is a year old and it can be fixed, upgrading makes little sense.

Finally, be sure to compare the price of a repair job with the price of a new TV. Give your local technicians a call. Ask them about their prices, and then compare them with the offers at HotUKDeals. If repairing is cheaper, it may well be worth it. If not, it’s more than likely time for an upgrade.

LCD TVs vs. LED TVs: What’s the Difference?

This is the million-dollar question in the world of TV purchasing. Should you go for an LCD TV or a more advanced LED set? It’s not a simple question to answer but there are some important things to bear in mind. First off, it’s worth outlining the major differences between the two technologies:

LCD TVs – Use a layer of liquid crystals sandwiched between two sheets of polarised glass. These diodes turn off or on when they are struck by different wavelengths of light, creating an image. This light is generated by a network of fluorescent lamps that lie behind the crystals.

LED TVs – Also use a layer of crystals between two sheets of glass, but use LEDs (light emitting diodes) to generate the light source. These diodes can be arranged behind the crystals, but are also commonly placed along the edge (edge lighting).

So that’s the basic technology. What about the differences?

Resolution and picture quality – Generally, both screens will create high resolution, distinct images, and most consumers will struggle to detect any major differences. However, there’s no doubt that LED TVs generate better contrast ratios and have more sensitive dimming capabilities, and tend to have deeper blacks as well.

Energy efficiency – LCD TVs tend to be slightly less energy efficient than LED screens due to their more efficient lighting systems. That is, they require less light to create images, which in turn requires less current.

Burn-in – Here’s where LCD TVs are actually superior. LED TVs can suffer from burn-in, which is when ghostly legacies of images remain on the screen. This isn’t usually associated with TV or movies, but is a factor for gamers. If you intend to use your TV for PlayStation or Xbox play, an LCD screen could be the way to go.

Size – The only real difference here is that LED TVs are marginally slimmer than their LCD cousins, but it’s a close-run thing.

Price – Another area where LCD screens beat LED, hands-down. LCD screens are much cheaper as a rule, and becoming cheaper all the time thanks to competition with the even more advanced OLED screens, so if you are looking for a bargain, they can’t be beaten.

As you can see, there are some differences – particularly at the high end of the LED market where 4K is becoming standard. If you are the kind of person who absolutely has to have the finest resolution and deepest contrast, an LED TV will be essential. But that’s not the case for most of us. Given that LCD screens are almost always cheaper (and the benefits for gamers), they remain a great option for most people to choose.

Useful Accessories for your LCD TV

When you come to purchase an LCD TV, you don’t need to buy the TV unit alone. In fact, there are several handy accessories that can enhance your viewing experience. Popular options include:

TV stands – TV stands don’t just ensure that your TV is placed at a convenient angle, in a convenient location. They can also allow you to swivel the screen at will, and the best stands include cable management features to keep any loose cables under control. Some include compartments for controllers, and even larger boxes for DVD players or gaming consoles. At the high end, designs from labels like Muji or Maisons du Monde also look fantastic, which can be a factor for design-conscious TV buyers.

Cleaning kits – Keeping your TV screen clean can extend its lifetime and avoid any smudges or flaws in the picture. You can purchase specialist kits with anti-static cloths that are designed for use with LCD screens. These screens can be surprisingly fragile, and liquid sprays are almost always advised against, so sourcing the right kind of cloth is vital.

Wall brackets – Similar to stands, but more permanent, wall brackets are essential if you want to mount your wide-screen TV in a home cinema setting. The best models are made from sturdy but lightweight aluminium, and you can find flat or cantilevered varieties, with some brackets offering swivel features as well.

Finding the Best LCD TV Deals

Having a great flat-screen TV is a vital part of daily life these days. No-one seems to want to settle for out of date TVs, and the race to have the largest, flattest, highest resolution TV seems never ending.

Thankfully, it’s easy to find big savings on high definition LCD TVs (and LED TVs). Just head to the HotUKDeals LCD TV listings, where you’ll find an endless stream of cheap LCD TVs from the UK’s biggest electronics retailers.

Merchants on the platform include big names like John Lewis, Tesco, Argos, Currys, Richer Sounds, as well as online sellers like Amazon, eBay, 7DayShop, Very and box.co.uk. If it’s being reduced and is sold in the UK, it’s a fair bet that our community will make the details available, so make the listings pages your first port of call when seeking the best LCD TV deal.

Timing a TV purchase is also advisable. Many people like to wait until the big sales seasons of the year, which start with Black Friday in late November and stretch into the January Sales. There may also be big reductions as major events approach, like the football World Cup.

In the case of LCD TVs, buyers can expect big reductions in any case. With LED TVs and Ultra HD now coming on sale, older but still advanced LCD TVs are plummeting in price and it’s a great time to find a deal.

Cheap LCD TVs on HotUKDeals

Whether you want a massive LCD TV to complete your home cinema setup, a TV to hook up to your PS4, or a tiny screen to add to your bedroom table, you’ll find a massive range of LCD TV offers at HotUKDeals. Bookmark our LCD TV listings and drive down the cost of your next TV.

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